A Hearty Distraction
by rubberduckiesrock
Summary: After the fiasco of the Christmas party, Molly Hooper is determined to move on from Sherlock Holmes. Little does she know the perfect distraction is closer than she thinks. One-Shot.


**A/N: Hi, this is my first 'Sherlock' fic so I'd really appreciate it if you would take the time to review and tell me what you think. :)**

**Just a quick thing to mention that Lestrade isn't married or with his wife or anything in this, purely for ease of plot as it's just something I cooked up during my breaks from revision. Also Molly's dress and hairstyle links can be found on my profile. :)**

**Happy Reading xXx**

**Hearty Distraction**

It was like she was a completely different woman. The midnight black dress showed off the figure usually concealed beneath chunky cardigans and lab coats and Lestrade found it rather difficult to look away as they walked down the deserted street towards his car.

They hadn't stayed long at Baker Street, the atmosphere had remained rather awkward after Sherlock's tactful display of his skills of deduction. Despite John's and Mrs Hudson's attempts to convince them of staying for 'just one more drink', Lestrade could tell that Molly wanted nothing more than to run out the door and not look back.

He had managed to find a suitable excuse and pointedly asked Molly if she needed a lift home. She had franticly nodded her head, thanking him profusely with her eyes, which where framed by long thick lashes and a dash of glitter.

They reached his car and he opened the passenger door for her, trying to hide that fact that his eyes continued to wonder further from her face and more toward her hemline. On second thoughts, maybe it was a good thing she wore cardigans and lab coats, he was certain his concentration level would drop significantly if she looked like this everyday.

"Thank you." Molly said once he had got behind the wheel. "For the ride and getting me out of there." she smiled at him weakly. As soon as they had closed the door to Baker Street she'd started to furiously rub away her scarlet lipstick but there was still a slight tint of red to her lips, which Lestrade thought suited her much better. Much more like the normal Molly.

"It's my pleasure" he muttered, starting the engine. "You where very brave you know," he said once they were further down the road. "For standing up to Sherlock like that." he explained when she gave him a confused look.

"I wouldn't call it standing up to him." Molly quietly mumbled to her hands. "I just told him the truth, for once."

Lestrade didn't say anything for a short while, he just glanced at the woman beside him. He was sure that most other women would have shed at least one tear after being humiliated like that but not Molly Hooper. On the outside she was soft and kind, vulnerable even but he saw now that she was strong. Wounded she may be but she didn't let it get to her. "It was still a brave thing to do. You should be proud of yourself, not many people have told him the truth before." he assured her.

Molly looked at him and smiled properly now so that it showed in her eyes not just her mouth. "You know what, I _am_ proud of myself!" she declared.

"Good!" Lestrade laughed. "You should be."

"From now on I, Molly Hooper, will _not_ be concerned in gaining the approval, admiration or affections of Mr Sherlock Holmes! I will stop my feeling for him even if it kills me!" Lestrade was shaking with silent laughter as she pounded her tiny fists against her thigh on each point for emphasis. "Oh it's a left here, third block on the right." she added pointing at the next street along.

"Well I wish you the best of luck on your…resolution." said Lestrade after they had come to a stop outside her apartment block.

Molly nodded firmly. "My Christmas Resolution."

"Is that even a thing?"

"It is now. Thank you for the lift." she said sliding out of the car.

Lestrade nodded in acknowledgment. "Oh, and Molly!" he called before she could shut the door.

"Mmmhhmm" she replied popping her head back down and looked at Lestrade with large brown eyes.

"You do look very lovely tonight."

Molly grinned shyly and gave a quick mumble of "Thanks." before practically running up to her door.

~oOo~

It had been late in the afternoon of Boxing Day when the body of a young woman had been brought into the morgue. Molly had been dawdling with her examinations of the charts and seemed to find it especially important that all the beakers and test tubes were so clean they squeaked. Working kept her mind occupied, if she went home to her empty apartment there was no doubt she would begin to think; think of things that she had promised herself she would shut out of her mind. The more time she spent here the better.

When the solemn coroners wheeled in the brunette Molly gave a sigh of relief, the store cupboard she was in had already been arranged and rearranged more times then she cared to count and so she was happy to have another 'project' to work on. The balding coroner examined her with a look that seemed like he was trying to determine if she had some form of mental illness or on drugs perhaps, when she signed the deliverance chart with a gleeful smile.

Nobody else was in, they were all at home with family and friends. When she got home last night and heard the message from her boss asking if anyone was free to work today, Molly had jumped at the chance. From seven in the morning she had been at the morgue it was late now, well past her normal hours. The sky was black and the brightest of the stars could just be made out over the bright London lights.

The call from Mycroft had been in the early evening to tell her that he and Sherlock would be coming to identify the body.

It hadn't been the easiest exchange to say the least. Sherlock hadn't even looked her in the eye for more than a moment.

But, then again, she wasn't suppose to be focusing on that kind of thing anymore.

Instead Molly busied herself with the routinely examinations of the woman: the measuring and skin dabbing, her face had been smashed in rather badly so Molly had spent some time trying to make her look more like her former self.

She was sat, well more slumped, at the computer waiting for the blood test results to come back, when her phone vibrated in her pocket.

_~I heard you got that Adler woman's body. How come you went in today? ~ **GL **_**23:36**

~_My boss asked me to and I couldn't say no. She's a mess though. What ever happened to her was not nice. X~ **MH **_**23:38**

_~ Well I don't envy your job that's for sure! Any definite cause of death yet? ~ **GL **_**23:40**

_~ Well, don't hold me to this but I 'think' the mangled face has something to do with it . I'm actually waiting for some test results right now. X~ **MH **_**23:43**

~_Wait. You're still at the Labs? It's 11:45! Is anyone with you? ~** GL **_**23:44**

_~ Yes I am and nope, no one. Just little ol'me, I need the distraction. X ~ **MH **_**23:46**

_~ You need to stop working so hard, distraction or not! It's Boxing Day I hope they're paying you overtime. ~ **GL **_**23:48**

_~ It's ok I don't mind. I like to feel useful. What are you up to then? X~ **MH **_**23:51**

_~On way back from the station actually. Anderson messed up a whole load of paperwork before he left so I had to cover his sorry arse! Typical day at the office really. ~ **GL **_**23:54**

_~Oh ,and you're not useless Molly. I don't actually know what we'd do without you. X~ **GL **_**23:55**

_~ Find another mortician I expect. But thank you, honestly. X~ **MH **_**24:00**

_X~ **GL **_**24:01**

Molly looked down at her phone and smiled for the first time in hours. *beep* The computer signalled the test result's arrival, Molly scrolled past the generic protocol information, straight to the results. As she read her eyes kept drifting from the screen to her phone, waiting for it to light up again.

'_No. concentrate'_ she told herself, dragging her gaze back to the results.

'_Maybe I should tell him the results are back' _she thought as her hand reached for the phone but she drew back, shaking her head. _'No, he wouldn't be interested now. I could tell him in the morning.' _Molly stared long and hard at the screen for a few minutes more, not taking anything in. _'But it would be something to talk about with someone.' _The next thing she knew, her phone was in her hand, fingers poised ready to type. Before she could talk herself out of it again, it suddenly lit up and vibrated in her hand. Molly jumped back and laughing at herself before opening the text.

_~Have the results come through yet? X ~ **GL **_**24:13**

Molly smiled. _'See, he is interested!' _she told her consciousness.

_~Ye they have. Nothing abnormal though. X~** MH **_**24:15 **

_~ Oh, right. So your still at the Labs then? X~_ **GL 24:17 **

_Yes. X_**~MH 24:17**

_~Still on your own? X~ _**GL 24:18 **

_Apart from the Stiffs, Yes. X~ _**MH 24:20**

_~So you could do with some company then? X~ _**GL 24:22 **

No sooner had she finished reading the text was there a knock on the Lab door which echoed around the room; bouncing off the cool metal surfaces. Molly looked up to see Lestrade stood behind the door, looking through the long window. He was holding up two disposable coffee cups in one hand and a bag from her favourite late-night bagel hut and his phone in the other. Seconds after the knock her phone went again.

_~Can I join you? XX~ _**GL 24:23**

Molly ran towards the door to let him in.

Lestrade greeted he with a smile which, while genuine, failed to hide the tired look in his eyes.

"Come on." she laughed, stepping into the corridor and closing the door behind her. "I think you need that coffee more than I do."

"You could be right."

"Really!" Molly rolled her eyes as she took Lestrade's arm and pulled him down the corridor towards the double doors.

**~oOo~**

Molly felt oddly nervous as she approached Lestrade's office. It was the kind of nervousness that resulted in the frequent temporary loss of rational thinking. In Molly's opinion it was the worse kind of nervous a person could be.

In the lift on the way up, she had attempt to help a portly middle age man, his hands filled with piles of files and paperwork and so she had pressed the floor button for him. Without asking which floor first, which caused her to get all embarrassed and flustered, which then caused her to press the wrong button, again.

Needless to say the gentleman was not amused.

By the time she arrived at Lestrade's office, post mortem report in one hand and coffee in the other, Molly was feeling rather drained. Apparently, so was Lestrade. Arriving at the door she knocked gently, no reply, she tried again, no reply. Assuming he was out she tried the handle, thinking that she could just leave the post mortem report on his desk with a note. She did not expect to find Lestrade folded over his desk with his head on his folded arms, fast asleep.

Molly hesitated before walking, gingerly over to him. "Um, Lestrade?" she asked quietly. It felt mean to wake him but he was covering the desk and she didn't want to leave the report just anywhere. But he continued to snore. "Lestrade." This time Molly poked him softly on the shoulder. Still nothing. Placing her hand on his shoulder and shaking it she called: "Greg!" Lestrade jumped up so suddenly it caused Molly to let out a small, high squeal and drop the report, its papers scattering all over the floor.

"Oh! God, I'm so sorry Molly!" he apologised quickly, diving from the chair to join her on the floor.

"It's alright. At least it wasn't the coffee." she smiled, indicating to the steaming, disposable cup in her other hand.

They both smiled in silent agreement and went for the same sheet of paper, their hands touched and they both pulled away as if they had just been electrocuted. "Sorry." They muttered in unison, making Lestrade smile wider at how Molly flushed a deep red and averted her eyes.

"So how come your delivering the report, don't you usually email them?" he asked, straightening up.

"The system is…er…down." she replied, placing the coffee on the desk and started riffling through the sheets, getting the in the correct order. "So, I thought I'd bring them over myself." she finished, handing him the file with a smile. "Don't mind do you?"

"No, not at all!" Lestrade replied quickly.

"And this is for you." Molly held out the coffee. "As a thank you for the other day." she explained as Lestrade reached out, with words of thanks, both hands enclosing the cup and Molly's own hand.

Their eyes met over the top of the cup. Lestrade felt his heart beat quicken in his chest but he didn't remove his hands.

"I…um…Well I'd better be going." Molly said pointedly looking down at their hands.

Lestrade followed her gaze, blinked and hesitated for a moment. "Oh, ye. Sorry." He gave a small, sheepish grin and let her go. Molly returned the smile and made for the door. Before she had even opened the door fully, Lestrade called out: "Molly!", much to his own surprise and hers. With wide, expectant eyes, she turned and looked at him. "What are you doing for New Years?"

What ever she had been expecting, it wasn't that. Her mouth opened and closed a few times before she finally replied "Nothing, actually. What about you?"

"Nothing." Lestrade smiled. "Well, in that case… would you like to spend it with me?"

Molly hesitated. "Will Sherlock and John be there too?"

Lestrade's hopeful smile faded ever so slightly as a dejected feeling swept over him. "Well I could always ask him if you-"

"No!" she cut in quickly. "It's good that he wont be…Like I said at Christmas, I need to get over him." she finished quietly, but quickly formed a smile. "I would be very happy to spend New Years with you."

"So, it's… a date?" she nodded bashfully. "Excellent! Well I'll call you later then." said Lestrade feeling very pleased with himself as she gave him a small wave and left his office.

~oOo~

The fireworks had already started when Lestrade pulled up in front of Molly's apartment block. He buzzed up to her flat: "_I'll be two minutes"_ came Molly's crackly voice from the audio box, sounding a little flustered.

Lestrade chuckled to himself as he went back to his car. Being a cop had its advantages at times like this, Molly was the type of person who would be anxious enough on her own but if someone around her was as well, she just got worse. It was best at times like this to maintain that cool, calm cop exterior for her sake. Even if he was oddly wracked with nervous energy on the inside.

There was the sound of the large, heavy fire door sliding back into place which made Lestrade look up from the pavement.

On the top of the steps above him stood a nervous Molly Hooper. Well he thought it was Molly. This woman had the same coloured hair, only styled in big soft curls which wrapped around the sides so the delicate diamond earrings could be visible, dancing from side to side as she hopped delicately down the steps. The simple, deep purple dress had a plunging neckline which, Lestrade couldn't fail to notice, displayed a usually concealed cleavage, whilst hugging her figure elegantly.

Large, brown eyes which were framed by long, dark lashes, highlighted by a touch of silver in the corners. He was glad to see she had stayed away from the vibrant red lipstick of the Christmas do and had instead chosen a more neutral soft pink.

She had looked beautiful at Christmas but tonight, Molly Hooper was _stunning. _

She approached him smiling through her obvious nerves, clutching on to the front of her black shawl and clutch. "Hi." she breathed. "You look nice." she glanced him over, nodding in approval at his choice of suit jacket and shirt.

Lestrade just stared at her for a few more moments before coming to his senses. "Thank you, but _you_! I mean… you look _amazing! _Who are you and what have you done with Molly Hooper?"

Molly laughed and looked down, briefly at her feet, which had started to twist around on the pavement. "Thank you." she said beaming up at him. "So," she continued climbing into the passenger seat when he opened the door for her. "where are we going?"

"Ah, you'll just have to wait and see." Lestrade teased before he closed the door.

~oOo~

Lestrade brought her to his apartment building but they didn't go in. Instead he took her up to the roof where he had laid out a large, thick picnic rug, laden with cushions, next to a ancient wood burner. There were bottles of wine and food all in a traditional, little picnic hamper basket and the soft tones of an Italian opera singer floating over from a small portable radio, concealed behind the wood burner. As the finishing touch he had scattered candles all over the floor and along the walls, all different colours and sizes, framing the London Eye clearly in view.

"Oh, God!" Molly breathed, her jaw dropping in surprise at the effort he had gone into.

"You like it?" Lestrade took her hand and led her over to the rug.

"Love it. But you shouldn't have."

"Why not? Lestrade asked, handing her a glass of wine. "You deserve it after all you've had to put up with, with Sher-…Work. With all the work you've done recently." He took a long drink of wine, eyeing her warily over the top of the glass. The last thing he wanted to do was to bring her mind back to Sherlock, especially as he was trying to win her for himself. Because ye, that's exactly what he was doing, he liked Molly, it had taken him a while to realise it but he did. From the day she came to his office and turned to leave, the pang of disappointment at that thought confirmed in his head what his heart had been telling him all along.

Greg Lestrade you like Molly Hooper. Now, go do something about it.

And now the fruits of his labour was sat beside him on the cushions of the picnic rug next to the quietly crackling logs in the wood burner. But apparently his quick cover up hadn't been as quick as he'd thought.

"I suppose 'work' has been on my mind quite a bit lately." Molly admitted. "But you do provide a perfect distraction." she smiled, popping a grape into her mouth.

"Well then, lets improve the distraction shall we?" Lestrade rose to his feet and extended his hand. "Would you care to dance Molly Hooper?"

Her cheeks flushed a brilliant pink as she took his hand, pulling her to her feet. Neither knew how to dance particularly well, so to start they just swayed and twirled in time to the music. Occasionally Molly would tread on Lestrade's foot but he swore it didn't hurt of course.

After the seventh time, Molly insisted that they take a break from the dancing and returned to the rug, where they spent the time laughing, eating and drinking. There was even a small bit of singing on Lestrade's part after a few more glasses of wine. They were so immersed with each other that it came as a surprise when the low chimes of Big Ben echoed across to them.

"Happy New Year." said Molly, holding up her glass.

"Happy New Year." Lestrade replied, leading over her glass and kissed her tenderly, as the fireworks on the London Eye erupted behind them. He tried to act calmly as he leant back and pretended to watch the fireworks but his heart was racing in anticipation of her reaction.

She sat there still and silent for a moment before blinking quickly and turning to observe the display. Lestrade watched her from the corner of his eye, she had a slightly perplexed look in her eyes but her mouth had turned up slightly at the corners, leaving him very confused as to what she was feeling.

"What are you thinking about?" he asked after an extremely long minute of waiting.

"I'll let you know in a minute."

Lestrade went back to looking at the fiery, explosive patterns being projected into the sky but it wasn't long before his view was blocked by Molly when she suddenly turned and kissed him in return.

"Thank God." Lestrade breathed when they broke apart. "For a moment there I thought… well…"

Molly laughed. "You do make an excellent distraction. There's just one problem… how am I going to be distracted from you?" she teased.

"Oh, don't worry, there's no distraction necessary." Lestrade chuckled, pulling her towards him once more as the finale erupted in the background.


End file.
